Backpacking Western Canada: Natural Alpine Beauty of the Mountains Firsthand

Want to spend more than an afternoon getting close to nature and enjoying the picturesque wilderness of Banff National Park and the surrounding areas elsewhere in Canadian Rockies? Then that means strapping a pack on your back with gear and food – backpacking, trekking, bushwalking and so forth.

It’s a great way to enjoy Western Canada. After a few days, even if you’re not in the best of physical shape, your muscles will firm up and you’ll enjoy the easy pace of a hike. At that point it’s easy to become absorbed in the beauty around you, especially here in the Canadian Rockies: alpine meadows carpeted in wildflowers, soaring peaks adorned with majestic waterfalls, and skies that seem to go on forever.

Of course there are innumerable trails criss-crossing Alberta and Western Canada, of all difficulty levels and lengths. You could go for an easy out-and-back over the weekend, or spend weeks in the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies, perhaps traversing the peaks of the Continental Divide.

Looking for a short backpacking opportunity right outside Banff town? Check out the Aylmer Pass trail at Lake Minnewanka for a spectacular backpacking trip just outside of town. Want something a little longer? Here’s several options for trips of three or four days.

Assiniboine Loop

This trip starts and finishes at the Mt. Shark trailhead in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, just ouside of Banff National Park. Travel through three connected wilderness areas for awesome views Mt. Assiniboine, the sixth highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, and one of the most impressive in the Banff area. There are some seasonal restrictions here, so check in with a ranger before going out.

Campsites: McBride’s Camp – Night 1; Lake Magog Campground or the BC Parks trail shelter, Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park – Nights 2 and 3 (separate BC Parks campground fees will be collected on-site); Marvel Lake, or stay at the Bryant Creek trail shelter – Night 4.
Elevation gain: 545 m
Distance: 55 km

Bryant Creek

This trip takes you to the amazing Mt. Assiniboine with a great starting point at the Sunshine Village ski area that traverses the flowery (or muddy, depending the season) meadows of Citadel Pass. Hike the Sunshine Village ski area maintenance road or catch a ride on White Mountain Adventures private shuttle to the base village. The trip ends at the Mt. Shark trailhead in Kananaskis Country, Alberta. Check with a ranger for info on seasonal restrictions.

Campsites: Porcupine Campground, Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park – Night 1; Lake Magog Campground, Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park – Night 2 or 3 (where separate BC Parks campground fees will be collected on-site); McBride’s Camp – Night 3 or 4.
Elevation gain: 660 m
Distance: 55.7 km

Banff and Mount Assiniboine

Get into Banff’s backcountry with this series of trails connecting Sunshine Village ski area to the Vista Lake viewpoint on Highway 93 on foot or via a shuttle ride by White Mountain Adventures. On the way, explore the Egypt Lake area en route. After climbing over Gibbon Pass, the trail meanders past a series of scenic lakes before the final descent to the highway.

Campsites: Egypt Lake – Night 1; Ball Pass Junction – Night 2 and 3; Twin Lakes – Night 3 or 4.
Elevation gain: 1390 m
Distance: 40 km

If you want to join a guided backpacking group trip, there are a number of tour and guide companies that offer backpacking trips, often times packaged with pre-and post-trip options for accommodations and transportation. This is a great option of you’re not an experienced backpacker, or if you’re not familiar with Alberta or don’t have a lot of time to spare.

We can recommend Yamnuska Mountain Adventures for your guided backpacking excursion. Their licensed, experienced, professional guides can take you on short or long trips of varying difficulty throughout the year. Yamnuska can also arrange private, guided backpacking tours.

Want to strap on your pack and some skis and head out for a winter backpacking trip — say, some ski mountaineering or hut-to-hut traverses in the backcountry? Yamnuska can help you with that too.

For further information on guided tours in the Canadian Rockies, fill out the blue form on the right side of this page.

click here for

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

200 – 50 Lincoln Park
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Related posts:

1. Lake Minnewanka – Devil’s Gap
2. Lake Minnewanka’s Aylmer Pass
3. Private Guided Tours

Let Someone Else Haul the Gear and Cook: Canadian Rockies Hiking or Walking Tours

The opportunities for hiking and walking in the Canadian Rockies provide some of the most beautiful and stunning natural scenery in the world. Here in Western Canada’s Alberta province there is a confluence of unspoiled wilderness, mountain culture and natural history.

What’s more, you can stay comfortable boutique hotels and lodges in the famous alpine resorts of Banff, Canmore and here in Lake Louise, or you can opt for a more primitive adventure, camping nearby and traveling to different trails each day. There are also rustic log cabins at Mount Assiniboine, where the wilderness starts at the doorway.

Of course if you’re the do-it-yourself type, there are plenty of trails for you here in the Canadian Rockies. But if you would prefer a guided hiking or walking tour, there are many professional guiding companies to be found here that can arrange a trip for you and your group.

The benefit of the hiking and walking tours is that you can leave behind the large backpacks and enjoy the splendor of the Canadian Rockies carrying little on your back, and you have a professional guide that not only will keep you from getting lost, but can educate you on the culture, history and biology of the Canadian Rockies and its national Parks.

It’s also possible to arrange for a private hiking or walking tour.

For further information on guided tours in the Canadian Rockies, fill out the blue form on the right side of this page.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

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1. Private Guided Tours
2. Sightseeing and Wildlife Tours
3. Heli-Hiking Banff National Park

A Rugged Canyon, Beautiful Waterfalls and  Banff National Park … Cold Springs?

This is one of the most popular day hikes around Banff, as it takes people to the waterfalls of Johnston Canyon. In fact, it’s probably one of the most popular trails in the Canadian Rockies, in terms of the number of people that hike it. If you want to avoid other hikers, you’ll have to hike in the evening or the very early morning before sunrise.

The trail begins immediately behind the lodge at Johnston Canyon Resort. It shadows Johnston Creek throughout the canyon all the way to Lower Falls. At various points there are iron bridges attached to the canyon walls that let you pass over the swift and noisy creek.

After a hike of 1.1 kilometers, you reach the Lower Falls. One of the aforementioned bridges crossed the creek here, giving you a straight-on view of this whitewater cataract. Want to get up close? There is a short tunnel through the canyon bedrock behind the falls.

Back on the main trail, you continue up the canyon via more catwalks and broad, well graded trail. There are many viewpoints overlooking the canyon and a small waterfall. Once you reach the Upper Falls there are two viewpoints: the bottom of the falls via a side-trail and catwalk leading to a viewing platform. A short climb on the main trail takes you to the top of the falls and an another viewing platform, which hangs out over the gorge above the waterfall.

A word of warning here: the fences near the edge are there for a reason. Sometimes people insist on climbing through, under, or around the fences to get closer to the falls – and sometimes people fall. When they do, they are swept over the falls, and do not survive. So be please be careful all along the trail, and respect the barriers near the falls.

If you’re still feeling fresh after hiking to the Upper Falls, you can continue to the Ink Pots, another 3 kilometers from the falls. These are seven cold mineral springs bubbling to the surface in the open meadows beside Johnston Canyon Creek. The trail from the Upper Falls climbs out of the canyon and joins a trail from Moose Meadows before dropping down to the springs.

Unlike many of the hot springs found throughout the region, these maintain a constant temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. This spot also offers views of the Johnston Creek valley.

To get to the Johnston Canyon trail take the Bow Valley Parkway west from its eastern interchange with the Trans-Canada Highway to Johnston Canyon, a drive of 17.5 kilometers. The parking area is on the east side of Johnston Creek. From it follow the trail leading across a footbridge to the lodge and trailhead on the opposite side of the creek.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

Related posts:

1. Cave & Basin – Sundance Canyon
2. Cascade Amphitheatre Hike
3. Lake Minnewanka’s Aylmer Pass

Exhilarating Day Hike to a Natural, Glacier-made Amphitheatre Just Outside Banff

While this is a somewhat long and strenuous day hike, it is nevertheless easily doable in a day. Best of all, you’ll get the chance to see some of the natural beauty and features of the Canadian Rockies, where over time glaciers have left their marks.

The trail starts at the Mt. Norquay ski lodge at the far end of the parking lot; the first kilometer you walk along a service road, skirting the base stations of ski lifts. At 0.8 kilometers, the trail turns to the right, away from the Fort Mile Creek Trail, which continues on straight.

The Cascade Amphitheatre trail turns away from the ski lifts and drops down into a forest. At 2.9 kilometers the trail encounters Forty Mile Creek. No need to ford it though; just beyond this point the trail crosses the creek on a bridge.

But before that climbing begins, the trail rewards you with some nice views, including that of Mouth Louis to the west. This sheer wall of rock is popular with rock climbers and mountaineers, and just beyond Louis to the south is Mount Edith, another popular spot for climbers.

The last fork in the trail is 1.2 kilometers past the bridge over Forty Mile Creek; here the Amphitheatre trail branches uphill; the Elk Summit trail continues on the other fork. The trail also begins to get challenging here, as a series of switchbacks takes you through alpine forests for 2.3 kilometers until you reach the edge of Cascade Amphitheatre.

From the Amphitheatre’s natural entrance, the trail moves on for a little more than a kilometer to the mountain’s summit ridge, which also creates a headwall to the Amphitheatre. The Cascade Amphitheatre, carved out by glaciers, encompasses alpine meadows carpeted with wild flowers in mid summer. You’ll also find marmots and pikas here as well.

While the ascent of Cascade Mountain from the Amphitheatre is not particularly difficult, the route is tricky and can be dangerous at certain times of the year; it’s easy to miss your way and wander near deadly cliffs. If you are set on peak bagging and must get to the summit, then pick-up a copy of A Climber’s Guide to Cascade Mountain at the Park Visitor Centre in Banff.

To get to the trailhead, follow the Mount Norquay Road north from the Trans-Canada Highway (at the Banff West Exit) 6 kilometers to the Mount Norquay Ski Area.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

Related posts:

1. Hike Johnston Canyon – Ink Pots
2. Lake Minnewanka’s Aylmer Pass
3. Cave & Basin – Sundance Canyon

Lake Minnewanka to Devil’s Gap: a Trail for Canadian Rockies Scenery and Easy Over-night Backpacking in Banff National Park

At nearly 30 kilometers from the end of the lake to Devil’s Gap, this is a long but beautiful trail – particularly in the late spring or early autumn. Unless you’re planning on doing an out-and-back, you’ll want to bring a backpack, tent and related gear for a multi-day trip.

This trail starts out the same way as the Aylmer Pass hike, at the Lake Minnewanka parking and picnic area. You start at the west end of Lake Minnewanka and proceeds along to the north shore for about 20 kilometers, with little change in elevation. Along the way you’ll cross Stewart Canyon as well.

There are plenty of places to camp along the way; one of the first options is to hike up the first part of the Aylmer Pass trail to the Aylmer Pass campground. As the trail approaches the east end of the lake, you’ll witness a graduation to more vegetation that is typically Canadian Rockies alpine – pine groves interspersed with wildflowers such as brown-eyed Susans, harebells and western wood lilies.

Once the trail moves beyond the end of Lake Minnewanka, it soon encounters the shore of the first Ghost Lake, following a channel which then connects that lake with the second one. You can ford this channel and hike eastward to Devil’s Gap or turn right and follow another trail 9 kilometers back to the south shore of Lake Minnewanka.

This is also an excellent place for cross-country mountain biking; the entire length of the trail is open to mountain bikes.

To get to the trailhead, from the interchange of the Trans-Canada Highway and the Banff East Exit follow the Lake Minnewanka Road 5.5 kilometers to the parking area at the lake.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

Related posts:

1. Lake Minnewanka’s Aylmer Pass
2. Cave & Basin – Sundance Canyon
3. Banff C-Level Cirque

Aylmer Pass: Stunning Minnewanka Views and Rigorous Rockies Multi-Day Hiking

This hike can be a bit more of a challenge compared to many of the other day hikes around Banff; hiking from the Lake Minnewanka parking/picnic area to Aylmer Lookout and back to the Minnewanka can take all day even for experienced hikers. But there is an option if you want to do some backpacking and camping and make it a two day trip.

This hike begins just a few kilometers outside of Banff town at Lake Minnewanka. At the end of the paved picnic area you will find the trailhead; the trail follows the lake’s north shore for about 7.8 kilometers. This part of the trail is not difficult, however it gets quite strenuous later on. It eventually forks away from the lake shore moving uphill to the old Aylmer fire lookout and Aylmer Pass.

Here’s is where things start to really get fun! The trail gains 600 vertical meters over the next two kilometers. As you hike up the trail look for the spur trail branching off to the right; this point is 2.3 kilometers beyond the junction with Lake Minnewanka trail. The fire lookout site, at the end of an open ridge below the summit of Mount Aylmer, is where most day hikers chose to head back down to the lake.

The old fire lookout is definitely worth the trip. At an elevation of 2,040 meters, form this ridge nearly all of Lake Minnewanka can be seen – the water is more than 500 meters below this point. From here you can see the twin summits of Mount Inglismaldie and Mount Girouard across the lake. Off to the southwest Mount Rundle and the Bow Valley can be seen. Up above the ridge to the north is Mount Aylmer – from which the trail gets its name. At 3,162 meters, it’s the highest peak in the Banff-Lake Minnewanka area.

If you’re not ready to head back down to the lake just yet, or you planned for a longer hike, the Aylmer trail continues on from the fire lookout trail junction. It continues to climb to up alpine meadows at Aylmer Pass; here you are above the treeline and near the boundary of Banff National Park. From here, above and to the east, is Mount Aylmer, a difficult but not too technical scramble.

If you are planning on a multi-day backpacking trip, there is a campground near the junction of the Aylmer Pass trail and the trail that leads up to the old fire lookout area. If you have the time, you can also continue over the Aylmer Pass into the Ghost River Wilderness Area. A trail continues down the north side of the pass to Spectral Creek, but the descent to Ghost River and beyond involves fording Spectral Creek and the Ghost River, or else bushwhacking along the banks.

To get to the trailhead, from the interchange of the Trans-Canada Highway and the Banff East Exit follow the Lake Minnewanka Road 5.5 kilometers to the parking area at the lake.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

Related posts:

1. Lake Minnewanka – Devil’s Gap
2. Cascade Amphitheatre Hike
3. Cave & Basin – Sundance Canyon

C Level Cirque Hike: Up Close and Personal with Canadian Rockies History and Geology

This trail is popular with both history buffs and nature lovers; it provides access to some of the mining history of the Canadian Rockies, as well as scenic views of Lake Minnewanka, an alpine lake that lies just a few kilometers northeast of Banff town.

The trail begins its climb through pleasant mountain forests and meadows before reaching the town of Bankhead – we should say, “former town” of Bankhead, where there isn’t much but the remains of the anthracite coal mining operation – buildings from the “C Level operation” — that existed here from 1904 to 1922. The town itself was laid out in the valley below. The coal seam worked here was the highest on the eastern slope of Cascade Mountain.

It is at this spot where the mining operations once took place that one can take in views of Lake Minnewanka below. As the trail continues to climb past this spot, hikers will pass several fenced in holes in the ground; these are vent holes from the mine shafts below ground. As you climb you will enjoy views of nearby peaks, such as Mount Rundle, as well as Bow Valley.

The trail continues on until it reaches the cirque. What’s a cirque you ask (unless, perhaps you speak French)?

It is a bowl-shaped depression created by a glacier in the mountains. While the glacier that created the C Level Cirque is no longer there, we should note that snow can often be found in the cirque well into mid summer. The soil here is rich, and in late summer one can spy the yellow lilies commonly associated with glaciers in this region.

To get to the C Level Cirque, take the Trans-Canada Highway to the Banff East Exit interchange, follow the Lake Minnewanka Road to the Upper Bankhead Picnic Area. The trail begins at the far end of the picnic area parking lot.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

Related posts:

1. Lake Minnewanka’s Aylmer Pass
2. Hike Johnston Canyon – Ink Pots
3. Lake Minnewanka – Devil’s Gap

Hiking Through Banff National Park History and Canadian Rockies Riparian Habitat

This 4.3-kilometer trail starts at the Cave and Basin historic site above Banff town and gently descends on a paved trail – it used to be a road before it was designated as a walking and bicycling path – to the Cave and Basin Marsh Trail which meanders beside the Bow River for awhile before climbing up for a bit towards Sundance Canyon.

On this part of the trail you’ll encounter a trail junction; the Sulphur Mountain trail, which branches off to the left, goes to the summit of its namesake; the branch to the right goes onto Brewster Creek and Sunshine Road. Go straight at this junction to head onto Sundance Canyon.

When you arrive at the Sundance Canyon Picnic Area the paved trail – and consequently bicycle access – comes to an end. The trail gets somewhat steep here as it continues on before looping through Sundance Canyon and heading back to the picnic area.

Along the way you have a few options if you’re looking for a shorter or easier hike. You can take the Marsh Loop trail where it branches right form the Sundance Trail where the paved trail first meets the river. It continues to follow Bow River to a local marsh before returning to the Cave and Basin parking lot.

Another option is to follow the Healy Creak trail, a roadbed that branches right form the Sundance Trail at the 2.2 kilometer marker and follows the south side of the Bow River Valley before crossing Brewster Creek trail at 2.9 kilometers and Sunshine Road at 4.6 kilometers. This trail is also popular with bikers and cross-country skiers.

To get to the Cave and Basin trail proceed from the intersection at the south end of the Bow River bridge in Banff. Follow Cave Avenue west a short distance to the parking area for the Cave and Basin Historic Site. Follow the paved walkway through the complex the trailhead. While you’re here, you can enjoy the nearby interpretive trails and the historic site itself; this is the birthplace of Banff National Park and the Canadian National Park system – right here in the Canadian Rockies.

For further information on guided tours in the Canadian Rockies, fill out the blue form on the right side of this page.

click here for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures 200 – 50 Lincoln Park Canmore, Alberta
click here for Banff Travel call toll free: 888-659-3394 211 Bear Street Bison Courtyard Banff, Alberta

Related posts:

1. Hike Johnston Canyon – Ink Pots
2. Lake Minnewanka’s Aylmer Pass
3. Banff Hoodoos, Hotsprings

Tailor Your Backcountry Wilderness in Western Canada: Hire a Private Guide

There are many tour companies operating in the Canadian Rockies out of Banff, Canmore, and Jasper that offer group tours and packages for all manner of outdoor activities. Many companies also offer private guided tours for your outdoor experience in Alberta’s backcountry.

Most of the activities you see listed here – backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, ice climbing, mountaineering, rock climbing, hiking, trekking, backpacking – can be done with a private guide. In fact many tour companies will tailor a trip for you or your group, so you can have a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience in Banff National Park or elsewhere in Western Canada. The pace of the activity, the degree of difficulty, and the level of service and comfort is customized to the needs and abilities of you and your group – it will be virtually impossible not to have fun!

We can recommend the guides at Yamnuska Mountain Adventures if you’re looking for a private guided tour in the outdoors of Western Canada. While Yamnuska specializes in mountaineering, rock climbing, backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering and hut-to-hut traverses, as well as day-hikes and multi-day backpacking trips and trekking in the warmer months. Equipment rental, food — Yamnuska will even assist you with arranging local transportation.

But let them tell you in their own words: “We specialize in organizing and crafting wonderful hiking experiences. From the beginning we will work with you to plan the trip that best incorporates your needs and objectives. Once you are ‘out there’ you will be with our very professional guides whose mandate is your safety, enjoyment and education.” You can also ask the company for references.”

click here for

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

200 – 50 Lincoln Park
Canmore, Alberta, Canada

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2. Wilderness First Aid Courses
3. Canadian Rockies Backpacking Near Lake Louise

Canoing, Hiking, Tours, History: Let Lake Louise Show Your Wedding Guests the Time of Their Lives

Canoes on Lake Louise, wating for you!

When you’re a wedding guest, as opposed to the bride and groom or immediate family, weddings sometimes aren’t that much fun – especially when you have to travel somewhere to attend. That’s another great thing about a wedding in Lake Louise: there is no end of things to do for your guests.

In fact, by planning ahead, you can make sure your guests get the most out of their Canadian Rockies trip, and make your wedding more fun at the same time.

Make Your Wedding Trip a Bonding Experience

Ciara Daykin, wedding planner and owner of Firefly Occasions, suggests the bride and groom plan group activities for guests. “Your guests will all feel like they are friends by the time the wedding actually happens.” She notes that guests will want to get out and experience Lake Louise anyway, and by planning group activities, the bride and groom can create a bonding experience for their guests without incurring extra cost. “You don’t have to pay for everything, you just have to have it organized,” she says.

One Trip for the Adrenalin Junkies, One for Those that Just Want to Relax

Daykin recommends setting up two separate trips that will appeal to a broad range of guests, say whitewater rafting and guided sight seeing. Afterward, she says it’s good to have reservations made at a local restaurant, where your guests can get together and talk about their day over a great meal. “There are phenomenal restaurants in and around Lake Louise,” she notes. “These places know how to cater to a large group.”

Below, you’ll find a list of information to help you and your guests plan their stay in Lake Louise, Banff National Park, and the Canadian Rockies.

Accommodations

Everyone in your wedding party should be able to find the right accommodations in and around Lake Louise. If people want to experience the unspoiled wilderness that surrounds Lake Louise and experience alpine living, there is Skoki Lodge, for example. A quiet, cozy mountain cabin? Paradise Lodge and Bungalows is as good bet. Need to impress your spouse’s parents? Put ‘em up in Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a fabulous resort hotel right on the shores of Lake Louise.

Activities

If your guests complain that they’re bored on their trip here, please check their pulse. There is no shortage of hikes, drives, sights, tours and other activities in and around Lake Louise to keep them busy, entertained, and out of your hair during their stay in the Canadian Rockies. Skiing, hiking, whitewater rafting, canoing and kayaking, sightseeing — there’s no end to the recreation opportunities here.

But What About the Less Adventurous?

But what will guests do if they aren’t into hiking, mountain biking and playing hard outdoors? Not to worry, there is plenty of things to do here, even if you don’t ski or hike. There are horse-drawn sleigh rides in winter, plenty of tours to take in winter or summer by car or bus that will still let your guess take in the natural beauty of Lake Louise and Banff National Park. This is also a great place for train and history buffs — the mountains are also a great place to go fossil hunting!

Related posts:

1. Honeymoon in Lake Louise
2. Weddings in Lake Louise, Banff and Banff National Park
3. Discover Lake Louise Winter Vacation Activities